Caressed by the golden California sun, a perfectly round valley nestled in a ring of hills flecked with orange groves lies thirty miles or so east of Santa Barbara. Settled by the Spaniards four hundred years ago, it remains an idyllic, near-mystical site where the local convent still houses nuns whose prayers mingle with the hum of their famous honey bees. It is here that Eileen Goudge has set her new trilogy-in Carson Springs. Beneath the tranquil surface of Carson Springs disputes flare, feuds simmer, and secrets are guarded. In Stranger in Paradise, the opening novel, a woman's love for a much younger man ignites a blaze of disapproval. Goudge's legion of fans will be drawn irresistibly into the life of this beautiful, lush, unique valley, where family histories have dangerously deep and tangled roots.